The 1969 Chevy C10 is a true icon of American automotive design..a rugged and dependable pickup truck. Introduced in 1960, the C10 represented a bold new direction for Chevrolet, moving away from the utilitarian designs of the past and offered a sleeker, more modern look that would go on to influence truck design for many decades. Our featured model is a 1969 Chevrolet C 10 Long Bed Half Ton.
Chevrolet pickups starting in the late 1960’s had design and mechanical changes and upgrades not seen since the big redesign for 1960. The 1967 model year was the start of this significant second upgrade.
1969 Chevy C 10 Styling
The Fleetside design had a square look with a flat panel cargo box and offered more carrying capacity than the Stepside. The Stepside design would be known for being more stylish essentially using the exterior design of the many earlier models of the 1930’s and 1940’s. The Stepside models featured a large step behind the cab and before the wheel well. Others would say the Fleetside had a more modern appearance which was true in several ways but not taking anything away from Stepside’s classic truck look.
A 1969 interior design addition was the Custom Comfort and Convenience interior package that fell between the Standard cab and CST cab options. This package included power steering and brakes, air conditioning, full foam bench seats, and an exterior door lock on the passenger side.
Minor exterior changes were made to the 1969 Chevrolet Pickups. A new grill featured the Chevrolet nameplate through the center while the bow tie logo moved to the front and center of the hood. Both Chevrolet C10 and K10 models could be equipped with either a 115 in with a 6 1/2 ft. cargo box or the 127 inch wheelbase with a 8 ft. cargo box being available in Fleetside an Stepside models. Standard engine is a 155 HP 250 Inline Six cylinder with several optional V-8’s also available that are described in this article.
Standard Features include: Panoramic rear window, padded dash, heater/defroster, padded sun visors, low-profile control knobs, safety glass, painted front bumper (chrome bumpers were a separate option), 2-speed windshield wipers, windshield defrosters, low profile steering wheel, directional signals and more. The CST (Custom Sport Truck) which could be identified by the CST/10 nameplate on the front fender had a custom wood grain insert and front side marker lights with chrome trim.
An interesting design change that went into effect with the 1967 C 10’s and carried forward was that the overall truck length was about two inches longer and the height was about two inches lower which improved access to the cab.
1969 Chevrolet C-10 Specifications
Plenty of engine options available for the 1969 Chevy C 10. Standard engine is a 250 cubic inch inline six cylinder with 155 HP. Optional engines include a 292 cubic inch I-6 with 170 HP, a 307 cubic inch V-8 with 200 HP, and three 350 cubic inch V-8’s producing 255 HP to 350 HP. These 350 cubic inch V-8’s replaced the 327.
Also plenty of transmission offerings to go with all the engines. A standard three speed manual, an optional four speed manual, a three speed Powerglide automatic, and a Turbo-Hydramatic.
Brakes are four wheel hydraulic drums. Front disc brakes would be on Chevy half ton’s starting with the 1971 model.
Front suspension is independent with heavy duty coils and rear suspension includes coil springs and trailing arms.
The Chevrolet C 10 featured a 115 inch wheelbase for trucks with a 6.5 foot cargo bed. C 10’s with a 8 foot cargo bed were built with 127 inch wheelbases. Overall outside length for the Long Bed version is 206.25 inches,
Curb weight 3,550 lbs and price when new about $2,560.
Total 1969 production for the Short Bed and Long Bed Chevy C-10’s combined was 412,800 units.
Total 1969 Chevrolet production including all vehicles came in just under 2.1 million units. 1969 Production totals for the Long Bed C-10 Fleetside was 268,200 units, the largest seller for 1969 C 10. The second biggest seller was the C 10 Short Bed at 54,200 units. The reasons for the popularity of Long Bed pickups are generally because they often have more powerful engines, have better tow ratings and due to it’s longer wheelbase appear to offer a smoother ride.
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Reference material for this article includes..Chevrolet Trucks: 100 Years of Building the Future by author Larry Edsall.. Standard Catalog of Chevrolet Pickups and Other Light Duty Trucks, 1918-1995 by John Gunnell. GM/Chevy Archives..National C10 Club.. C10 trucks.com
Chevrolet light trucks from the 1960’s are popular collector vehicles. As such, auction and private sales prices have been increasing as of this date. Many variables are considered such as overall condition and mileage, originality, matching numbers, engine type, degree and date of restoration, short Bed or long bed. It appears that examples in excellent condition are found anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000. As always, there are models priced well below $50,000.
(Article and photos copyright Auto Museum Online)